It Has To Be You
by Bohemian Anne
Summary: After the sinking, Rose searches for a way out of her old life.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

"Come Josephine in my flying..." Rose trailed off as she felt a light shining on her face.

"Is anybody alive out there?" the officer yelled.

Finally, Rose realized it was a boat. She shook Jack's hand.

"Jack. Jack. Jack. There's a boat! Jack." Rose kept saying his name as the ugly reality sunk in.

"Jack! There's a boat Jack. Jack." Still no reply. Rose laid her head back down, ready to give up.

Then she remembered that she promised Jack she would survive.

"Come back! Come back!" she kept yelling, but noticed they couldn't hear her.

She saw the dead officer with the whistle in this mouth. But she couldn't just leave Jack.

She decided to detach Jack's hand from hers. She kissed both of his hands and pulled him up onto the board, after she was off of it, hanging onto the side.

She left his dead body lying there as she swam over to get the whistle. She didn't know what possessed her to not let Jack's body stay in the water, but something told her that was the right thing to do.

She started blowing the whistle.

"Come about!" the officer yelled.

Rose just kept blowing. Finally, she felt that light shining on her again. Filled with satisfaction, she went back over to Jack and just hung onto the board, the same position he was in at his final moments. It was now Jack's turn for the board.

The next thing Rose knew, she was on the Carpathia.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Rose woke up bundled in blankets on the Carpathia. One of the officers offered her some soup, and she took it. Anything to keep her warm.

After Rose was done with her soup, she decided to walk the decks of the ship. Oh, how she missed Jack. Rose started to cry. How could she live without him? This was the first time since his death that she was hysterical.

Rose decided to check the survivors list. Even though she knew there was no hope, she looked for a Jack Dawson first. All she found was a Jack Calvert. She started to cry. She also noticed Cal and her mother had survived. Fabrizio and Tommy did not. She was devastated.

Rose all of a sudden fell to the floor hysterically.

A young man behind Rose noticed this poor woman crying. He couldn't see who she was because of the large blanket over her, but he knew she was crying.

"Are you all right, miss?" he asked.

Rose's heart started pounding. She knew that voice; the voice belonged to one man, and one man only. Jack.

Rose quickly turned around and saw him. It was Jack staring at her.

When they both saw each other, they both stared for a second in disbelief. Finally, Jack asked, "Rose?"

Rose just started at him as tears filled her eyes. "Jack? Jack?" she asked.

Jack ran that couple feet that kept them apart and grabbed Rose into his arms and kissed her all over. "Rose? Am I imagining it? Is it really you?" Jack asked, holding her head.

"Yes. I love you so much, Jack." Rose was crying so hard that she couldn't believe her eyes.

"I love you," he said as they hugged harder than ever.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Jack and Rose sat down on a small bench on the Carpathia.

"Jack, I still can't believe it is you," Rose said, still hysterical.

"It's okay, Rose...I'm here, and you're here, and we'll be together, always," Jack said. He, too, was crying.

Jack then noticed Rose's gaze. It was Cal, on the deck above.

"Jack...it's Cal. Hide. I have to take care of this myself," Rose said. Jack nodded and left.

"Rose! Come here this instant!" Cal said, walking toward her.

"Cal...leave me alone..."

"No! You're my fiancée, and..."

"Stop! I'm calling off the wedding. I don't want to marry you."

"It's that steerage rat, isn't it?"

"He died," Rose said, and put her head down.

Cal let out a small laugh, and Rose stood up and slapped him across the face.

Cal took her in his arms and attempted to kiss her, but Jack came from the side, pushing them over and grabbing Rose's arms to keep her from following.

"Dawson! She said he was dead!" Cal said, looking at Jack and then Rose.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

                Cal stared at the couple, his astonishment turning quickly to rage. "Rose, you little slut!" He lashed out, infuriated that his rival was still alive and still favored by Rose.

                Jack stepped between Rose and Cal. "Don't call her that," he told Cal, looking him straight in the eye. "You couldn't be further from the truth."

                "What will you do if I do call her that?" Cal challenged, smirking. "Take her away?"

                "She's already chosen to leave you. What she does next is up to her."

                "You're not much of a man if you let her walk all over you. A woman's place is to honor and obey, and it takes a better man than you to keep her in line."

                "Maybe. But if you're the better man, I pity you. Rose is intelligent and strong-willed, the sort of woman that you could never handle without locking her up in a golden cage and taking the fire out of her. And before you could do that, I've no doubt she would turn your life upside down and make you miserable. You need a weak, worshipful debutante, not a woman of strength and conviction."

                "It takes a man like me to handle her, Dawson. You have nothing. You are nothing, and that will never change. You'll never be able to handle her."

                "I don't need to handle her. Rose is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Unlike you, I don't need to prove myself by dominating her and bending her to my will. I love her the way she is."

                Cal stared at him for a moment, his face dark with fury. Then, he smiled slyly.

                "You mean you love her money the way it is. Dawson, I have news for you. Her family has nothing. Her father died, leaving them only his debts. You'll get nothing from her."

                "I don't care about her money, or lack of it. Rose is all I want."

                "I see that you don't believe me. No, Dawson, I won't you let you use an innocent, naïve girl like Rose."

                "Why not?" Rose spoke up. "You would have used me for my money if I had any. As it is, you only want to marry me because it would be a great social achievement for you—a pretty debutante on your arm at high society gatherings, a young woman to give you the heir that is so valued by men of your status, a link with the still-renowned DeWitt Bukater name." She stepped around Jack, standing face to face with Cal. "As I have told you, the wedding is off. Find another debutante. Perhaps you will be able to handle her."

                Cal's temper exploded. Giving Rose a shove, he knocked her to the ground, and was about to come after her again when Jack grabbed him and punched him in the face.

                Cal didn't hesitate. He hadn't been in his share of barroom brawls for nothing. Regaining his balance, he swung at Jack, hitting him hard in the mouth.

                Rose scrambled to her feet. "Stop!" she cried, seeing the violence erupting before her. "Stop it right now!"

                Neither man listened. The conflict that had been simmering between them for days would no longer be held back. Jack had been in his share of brawls, too, and was almost evenly matched with Cal. In moments, they were grappling on deck, throwing punches for all they were worth.

                "Cal! Jack! Stop!" Rose screamed, hating the further display of violence. Hadn't there been enough on the Titanic the night before?

                Steeling herself, she tried to get between them, only to be forcibly ejected as Cal knocked Jack to the ground and began pounding him. Jack, more weakened than he had realized by his ordeal in the water the night before, could only try to defend himself, throwing up his arms to block Cal's blows.

                "Cal! Get away from him! Stop!" Rose rushed forward again, but by this time her screams had brought a steward, who collared both men and pulled them apart.

                "Jack!" Rose ran to him, her eyes wide in shock. One of his eyes was blackened and already beginning to swell shut, his nose was bleeding profusely, and his lower lip was split open from the force of Cal's first blow.

                Jack looked at her, dazed, before sliding from the steward's grasp and dropping to the deck in a heap.

                "Jack!" Rose dropped to her knees beside him, reaching to touch his bruised face.

                Cal pulled her back up, gripping her arm so tightly she winced. "Sweetpea, leave him alone."

                "I am not your sweetpea!" Rose retorted, but the steward interrupted before she could say more.

                "Sir, I suggest you and your lady go back to first class where you belong. This man needs a doctor's care."

                "Jack!" Rose tried to break free of Cal's grasp, but he pulled her away, marching toward the stairs and away from steerage, his grip on her arm never loosening.

                "Come, Sweetpea. Your mother is worried about you."


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

                "Come along, sir. I'll help you get to the infirmary." The steward crouched down beside Jack, trying to get him to stand.

                Jack looked at him in confusion. The infirmary? No, he couldn't go to the infirmary now. He had to find Rose.

                "No, I'm all right," he mumbled, his split lip making it painful to talk. He tried to stand, but the deck tilted crazily, much like Titanic's had the night before.

                "I beg to differ. Now, can you walk with my help, or shall I call another steward to help?"

                Jack shook his head, trying once again to stand. "You don't understand. Rose…I have to find her. I have to help her. Cal has her."

                His second attempt at standing also proved unsuccessful. As the steward gestured to another man for help, he asked Jack, "Rose? Cal? You mean the first class couple that was down here a few minutes ago?"

                Jack brightened, not seeing the look of disapproval on the steward's face. "Yes! Cal took her back to first class…I have to find her and bring her back here."

                "You, sir, are not going anywhere, except the infirmary. And you certainly are not going up to first class. Those passengers have been through enough already. They don't need a steerage ruffian up there harassing them."

                "But Rose—"

                "—is in first class where she belongs. I don't know what she was doing down here, but I have my most sincere doubts that it was to be with you. Most likely, she was dazed by the sinking and didn't know what she was doing, and you, sir, were trying to take advantage of that. Now, for the time being, you are going to the infirmary."

He and the other steward lifted Jack up, carrying him in the direction of the infirmary. Jack tried to struggle out of their grasp, but was too weak.

                "If we catch you anywhere near first class, you will be brought back here and locked up for the rest of the voyage. Do I make myself clear?"

                "Yes." Jack kept his voice even, his mind already going over ways to get up to first class and find Rose. There was no telling what Cal would do to her for her defiance. He had to find her as soon as possible.

                But how could he help her, when he couldn't even stand upright? Crawling around the ship was definitely not a subtle way to search for her. He would be returned to steerage in an instant.

                Resignedly, Jack let the stewards take him to the infirmary. He couldn't do anything for Rose in his condition. Maybe after a few hours rest, he would be fit to leave and could go in search of her.

*****

                "Rose!" Ruth rushed forward, hugging her daughter with an unusual amount of enthusiasm. "Rose! Thank God! I was afraid you'd died."

                "I'm fine, Mother." Rose hugged her back. "I'm glad to see you survived."

                "And Cal, too, of course," Ruth added, smiling broadly at Cal. Not only was he the perfect fiancé for her daughter, and the man who would replenish their fortunes, but he had found Rose. Ruth had been pacing constantly since the Carpathia had picked them up, terrified that Rose was gone. Rose was her baby, her only child. What would she do without her?

                Then, Ruth looked more closely at Cal, noticing his torn collar and the bruises on his face. "Cal! What happened to you?"

                "That steerage rat happened," Cal growled, staring angrily at Rose. "I found him with Rose, and he attacked me when I tried to take her back."

                "That wasn't what happened at all!" Rose exclaimed. "Cal shoved me to the ground, and Jack stopped him from hitting me again. Then they got into a fight."

                Cal shook his head, giving Rose a patronizing look. "Sweetpea…I think the trauma of the sinking has addled your brain. You know that wasn't what happened."

                "Yes, it was. Don't try to tell me I'm crazy. I'm just fine. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go back to steerage and look for Jack. You beat him senseless."

                "In your defense, dear."

                "He was defending me!"

                "Rose, darling," Ruth interrupted. "Why don't you go and lie down? It's been a long night for all of us. You need your rest."

                "I need to find Jack first. Then I'll rest."

                "You are not going back to steerage, Sweetpea. Now, do as your mother says."

                "Need I remind you, Cal, that you no longer have any hold on me? The wedding is off. I am no longer your fiancée."

                "The ring on your finger says otherwise."

                Rose yanked the ring from her finger, throwing it in Cal's face. "This is what I think of your engagement, Cal. I don't want you, or your riches. Now, leave me alone." She turned to leave. "Good-bye, Mother. I'll keep in touch."

                "Rose!" Ruth's commanding voice stopped her. "Apologize to Cal immediately. Then, I want you to put that ring back on. Your engagement isn't over until the wedding." She looked balefully at her daughter. "Yes, Rose, the wedding is still on. Last night doesn't change anything."

                "No, Mother, it isn't. I won't marry Cal."

                "The wedding plans have already been announced and the invitations sent out. We will have to get you another gown, but that shouldn't be too difficult."

                "Mother, listen to me! It's over. Whatever Cal and I had ended a long time ago. The only reason you want this wedding to go on is because of Cal's money."

                Ruth looked at Cal, hiding her shock that Rose had revealed her real motivations in pushing for the match. Cal just stared back at her, one eyebrow raised as he waited for her response.

                "Cal is right, Rose. Last night's trauma did addle your mind. Whatever do you mean, I want this wedding to go on because of Cal's money? Certainly, I want the best for you, but you were happy enough to accept Cal's proposal."

                "That was before I knew what he's really like. Do you know what he did last night, Mother?"

                "Whatever happened, Rose, or didn't happen, as the case may be, you must forgive him. It was a terrifying situation for all of us, and less than proper actions can be forgiven in such times."

                "Unless, of course, they're mine."

                "Not another word out of you, Rose. You must be crazy if you want to reject a well-mannered gentleman of high standing in favor of a steerage ruffian who won his ticket in a poker game."

                "I love Jack!"

                "Sweetpea, you're causing a scene." Cal took her by the arm, pulling her into a small room.

                When the door was closed behind them, Cal's demeanor changed. Grabbing her shoulders and shaking her, he leaned so close to her that Rose jerked her head back in fright. "How dare you?" he ground out. "How dare you humiliate me in front of so many people? I have no doubt, of course, that your mother wants this marriage because of how she will benefit, but that doesn't matter. She won't receive a penny from me."

                "Then you'll let me go?"

                "Oh, no, Sweetpea. You aren't going anywhere. The wedding is still on. No one crosses me and gets away with it. As I told your gutter rat last night, I always win, one way or another, and you are staying with me. We will be married as planned, whether you like it or not. You are my fiancée, not his, and you will do as I tell you."

                "Mother will never back you up, once she learns of your plans to leave her penniless."

                "Sweetpea, your mother is well on her way to being convinced that the trauma of last night addled your mind. Why would she believe you?" He put a hand to her face with deceptive gentleness, turning her head to face him.

                Rose jerked away. "Don't touch me!"

                "I will touch you, if it pleases me to do so." Her laughed at widened eyes. "Don't worry, Sweetpea. I won't touch you in that way—until the wedding night. The we'll see who's the better man—Dawson, or me."

                Rose mouth curled in contempt. "You unimaginable bastard. I will never let you touch me."

                "Once we're married, you won't have a choice. It will be your duty as a wife to give me whatever I want, whenever I want it."

                Rose spat at him, but missed. "No!"

                Enraged, Cal grabbed her shoulders, shoving her against the wall. "Don't defy me, _Sweetpea_. I can guarantee that you'll regret it."

                "I will never marry you."

                Almost casually, Cal slapped her across the face. Rose's head jerked back, thudding against the wall. Rubbing her sore cheek, she glowered at him.

                Cal just smirked at her and walked away, slamming the door behind him. A moment later, she heard the sound of key in the lock.

                Racing to the door, Rose tried to open it, but the doorknob refused to budge. "Cal! Let me out! You can't lock me up like a prisoner!"

                There was no response. Rose pounded on the door with her fists, then kicked it furiously.

                "You bastard! I hate you!"


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

                Rose paced around the tiny servant's room for hours, until she finally collapsed on the narrow bed, exhausted. No one had come to let her out, or to bring her any news of what was happening outside. She didn't even have any food, and her stomach growled hungrily.

                Finally, early in the evening, a stewardess opened the door with a tray. Eagerly, Rose jumped up and rushed forward, but the stewardess quickly set the tray just inside the door and slipped back out, closing it behind her.

                "Wait!" Rose called. "Let me out! Please!"

                "I'm sorry, Miss, but I can't do that. Your fiancé and your mother explained that you'd suffered a nervous breakdown because of the trauma of the sinking, and you aren't to be let out until we dock." The stewardess's voice was fearful, as though Rose would burst through the locked door and attack her.

                "They're lying! I have not suffered a nervous breakdown! I'm just fine! Now, please, let me out!" Rose's voice was growing hysterical, which did nothing to convince the stewardess of her sanity.

                "No, Miss. This is for your own safety."

                A moment later, Rose heard footsteps walking away. Frustrated, she stomped back to the bed, ignoring the tray on the floor.

                "Damn you, Cal! How dare you do this to me? Is this your punishment for my wanting to be with Jack? To not only lock me in a small room, but also to ruin my reputation?"

                Rose rolled over, staring at the floor. The scent of food from the tray tempted her, reminding her of how hungry she was, but she wouldn't put it past Cal to have had the food drugged in order to keep her under control.

                Resolutely, she turned away, ignoring the tray and its contents, and closed her eyes. Maybe sleep would take the edge off her hunger.

*****

                Jack tossed and turned restlessly in the infirmary, alternately coughing hard and mumbling Rose's name. A nurse looked at him with concern and went to find the doctor.

                A moment later, the doctor returned, examining him and shaking his head. "Pneumonia," he told the nurse. "I'm afraid it's going to take a few more people before this is over."

                Jack tried to take a deep breath, then moaned in pain and clutched his chest. Breathing was becoming difficult.

                "What treatment should he be given?" the nurse asked, looking at Jack as he coughed again, calling for Rose.

                "Aspirin for the fever, and codeine cough syrup, both for the cough and to help him rest. In addition, don't let him cover himself up with blankets, and sponge his forehead with cold water to reduce the fever. Also, put hot compresses on his chest once the fever is down, to help with congestion."

                "Yes, Doctor." The nurse retrieved the necessary supplies and took two blankets away from Jack, ignoring his complaints that he was cold.

                "You have a temperature of a hundred and four," she told him. "You are not cold."

                Jack just looked at her blankly. She sighed and poured a glass of water. Helping him to sit up, she gave him two aspirin and the glass of water.

                Jack looked at the aspirin suspiciously, not quite aware of what was going on around him. He coughed violently, until he was light-headed, and then handed the aspirin back, shaking his head. The fever was making him delirious.

                "No, Mr. Dawson, you have to take them. It's just aspirin. It isn't going to hurt you."

                "I have to go find Rose," he mumbled. "Cal has her."

                The nurse had no idea who Rose or Cal were, but she wasn't about to let Jack get up and wander off. "Oh, no you don't. You're staying here if I have to restrain you. Now, are you going to take those aspirin yourself, or am I going to have to force them down your throat?"

                Jack sighed, one hand on his chest as though that would relieve the pain, and took the aspirin.

                "Now, cough syrup."

                "No." Jack shook his head violently, then commenced coughing again, a memory of his mother giving him cough syrup surfacing in his mind. The medicine had made him feel drugged and sleepy—something he couldn't afford to feel if he was going to search for Rose.

                "Yes. Open up." The nurse wasn't listening to his protests.

                "No!" Jack struggled, sending the measuring spoon flying.

                The nurse retrieved it, cleaned it, and approached him again. Jack tried to get out of bed, but succeeded only in falling on the floor. As he struggled to get up, a steward approached, and with the help of the nurse, got him back into bed.

                Jack still refused to take the cough syrup, turning his head to the side and clamping his mouth shut. Finally, the steward held him down, while the nurse pinched his nose to get him to open his mouth. She poured the cough syrup down his throat, while Jack struggled and choked, trying to spit it back out.

                When he had finally swallowed the prescribed dose, the nurse let him go. "You're worse than a child," she told him crossly, standing close to ensure that he didn't try to get away again.

                After about twenty minutes, the cough syrup began to take effect. The nurse nodded to the steward, dismissing him, and began to sponge down Jack's forehead.

                "Please," he whispered. "I gotta go find Rose. There's no telling what he's gonna do to her."

                The nurse regarded him compassionately, wondering if the Rose he was referring to had been one of the victims of the Titanic sinking.

                Shaking her head, she told him, "I'm sure Rose will be fine. You're in no condition to go looking for her."

                Jack barely heard her, slipping into a doze, both from his exhaustion and illness and from the effects of the codeine.

                "Rose," he murmured. "Rose, please be all right."

*****

                Rose awoke, her heart pounding wildly and her whole body drenched in sweat. "Jack!" she cried, before remembering where she was.

                Slipping from the bed, she went to the door and tried to open, forgetting for a moment that she had been locked in.

                "Jack," she whispered, leaning against the door. Where was he? Was he still in the infirmary? She could have sworn that he was calling out to her, but that was impossible. He was in steerage, she was in first class. He couldn't have gotten up to where she was—not with Cal on the lookout for him.

                Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that Jack was calling to her, that he was in trouble somehow. Fear rising within her, she stumbled over the tray of congealed food, sending it flying across the room.

                Where was Jack? What was wrong with him? Why did she sense that he was calling out to her?

                "Jack," she whispered, stumbling back to the bed and sitting down, drawing her knees up. "Where are you?"


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

April 18, 1912

"Sweetpea, get ready. We're about to dock."

Rose cringed at the sound of Cal's voice outside the tiny room where she had been imprisoned for the past three days. He had come to visit her each day, mostly to lecture and harangue her about her behavior, and to slap her around if she defied him.

Ruth had also visited, but only when Cal was present—Rose suspected that Cal was afraid that she would tell Ruth about his plans to cut her off without a cent. Whenever it had appeared to him that Rose was about to tell her mother about his plans, he had found a reason to leave, escorting Ruth from the room and locking Rose in again.

Slowly, she got to her feet, looking around the room. What did she have to take with her? Everything she had brought with her, as well as everything she had bought on the trip, had gone down with the Titanic. All she had were the clothes on her back, which had finally dried after being hung near the heater.

Resignedly, she put her ruined shoes back on and picked up Cal's coat, doubting that he would want it back after she had worn it in her struggles in the water. The fine, heavy wool was water-stained and misshapen.

Absently, she slipped the coat on, knowing that it was late and would probably be cold when they got off the ship. Slipping her hands into the pockets, she frowned as her right hand touched something cold and hard.

Rose's eyes widened in surprise as she pulled out the Heart of the Ocean. No wonder Cal had been so anxious to find her! Not only did he want his erstwhile fiancée back, but he also wanted his investment. The necklace had to be worth at least two million dollars—a huge chunk of money by any standards.

Wondering if he had placed anything else in the pockets—Cal always liked to be prepared—she searched through the other pockets, finally finding two large bundles of money in the inner pockets. She didn't have time to count it, but it was all in twenties—more than enough for her to start a new life with Jack if she could get away and find him.

Where was Jack? Rose asked herself that for the hundredth time. She hadn't heard anything about him since she had been dragged back to first class, but that wasn't unusual. First class tended to regard steerage as non-existent unless they got in their way.

The last she'd heard of him, the steward had said that he needed a doctor's care. Rose bit her lip in worry. He had been in the bitterly cold water for a long time that night. What if he was sick, or worse? Would she even be able to find him if he was? What would happen to sick passengers after the ship docked?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Cal unlocked the door, Ruth following close behind him. Ruth nodded approvingly at the sight of Rose dressed and ready to go. Several times, over the past few days, she had come in to find Rose in various states of undress, making her wonder if Rose had indeed had a nervous breakdown, since she showed no embarrassment at being caught that way.

Rose just stared at them, not making any comment. She knew that her mother had been shocked to find her dressed only in the bed sheets, but her clothing had been damp and uncomfortable, and she didn't want to take the chance of getting sick. She would never be able to escape and find Jack if she became ill.

"Rose, darling, we've arrived in New York," Ruth told her, looking around the small room in distaste. What would people say if they knew that Rose had completed the journey back to America living in servant's quarters? Ruth sincerely hoped that Rose wouldn't say anything about where she had been staying, or why, but she hoped that if Rose did open her mouth, Ruth could explain it away as the lack of room on the rescue ship. After all, no one had expected the Titanic to sink, and the survivors really couldn't be blamed for taking whatever accommodations were available.

"Come, Sweetpea." Cal took her by the arm and escorted her from the room. "We'll be disembarking as soon as the Carpathia's original passengers have gotten off."

Rose didn't reply. She had learned quickly that Cal took great pleasure in belittling every word she said, punishing her for her behavior aboard the Titanic. It was better not to say anything at all.

She looked around as they headed for the gangway, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jack, but they never left first class, and when they were finally permitted to leave the ship, Cal and Ruth hurried her to a waiting taxi, avoiding the questions of reporters. Rose walked between them the whole time, Cal's grip on her arm never loosening.

*****

Jack lay in his bed, feeling weaker than he had ever felt before in his life. It had been three days since the Carpathia had picked up the survivors of the Titanic, and now they had finally docked in New York. He was back in America, but the thought gave him no joy.

Fabrizio had been so eager to go to America and make his fortune in the land of opportunity. Now, he was dead, along with most of the people Jack had known in steerage. He had glimpsed one man that he knew vaguely, walking around in a dress and shawl and trying to escape the accusing stares of the other survivors, but no one else.

He had been in and out of delirium since he had been brought to the infirmary, but he had been lucid enough of the time to have learned a few things.

Most of the first class women had survived, as well as a number of the men, as had much of second class. It was the steerage passengers who had suffered the most losses. Many had been locked below deck as the Titanic sank, for fear that they would rush the boats and deprive first class passengers of their seats. There hadn't been nearly enough boats—perhaps half the number needed—and many of them had been launched only partly full. There had been another ship in the vicinity, the Californian, but the wireless operator had turned off his equipment for the night, so they hadn't heard the Titanic's pleas for help, and those who had seen the flares had assumed that some sort of celebration was going on. After all, why would anyone be signaling for help from an unsinkable ship?

He had seen no sign of Rose since Cal had taken her back to first class, and no one had had any news about her, either. He knew that she was alive—but where was she? How was she doing? How was Cal treating her? Cal had been furious that Rose had made a fool of him, and he hated Jack with a passion for luring his fiancée into what he regarded as an illicit affair.

Jack tried to sit up, but his weakness forced him to lie back down. His fever was rising again; he could feel it. Now that the ship had docked, Cal would take Rose back to Philadelphia, and Ruth would see to it that the wedding went as planned. Once she left New York, there would be no chance of finding her.

He shook his head, pushing away his defeatist thoughts. He could catch a train to Philadelphia and find her. To be sure, he had no money, but that had never stopped him before. He would just jump aboard a deserted boxcar like any other bum, and jump off when he reached Philadelphia. The DeWitt-Bukater home shouldn't be too hard to find—after all, they were members of high society, watched and admired by thousands. Finding the Hockleys would be equally easy. He would find out where they were, and—somehow he would get there, and find Rose. Her wedding was probably scheduled for June, like that of most debutantes, so that gave him some time to plan and search for her.

Of course, it would be easiest if he could find her before she left the ship. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling himself shakily to his feet. He almost tumbled over, but he was determined. He had to find Rose. That was all his mind was focused on now.

Vaguely, he wondered where his shoes were, but he didn't have time to look for them. He had to find Rose before Cal got away with her. Stepping carefully, he started for the infirmary door, his legs feeling like they weighed a thousand pounds each.

He was almost to the door when the nurse returned, stopping him in his tracks. "Mr. Dawson! What do you think you're doing?"

Jack looked at her, his eyes glazed from fever. He had no idea how long it had taken him to cross the room, but he was almost to the door and he wasn't stopping now.

"I got to…got to…" He tried to remember what he was doing. The fever was making it hard to think.

"You've got to go back to bed. You're too sick to wander around, and you're not likely to get better if you don't settle down and rest."

"I gotta find Rose. Cal's gonna take her away." Jack finally remembered what he was doing. Stepping around the nurse, he reached for the doorknob.

"No, Mr. Dawson, you aren't going anywhere. When the other passengers have left, those of you too sick to fend for yourselves will be taken to a hospital near here. That includes you. Now, go back to bed. You're in no condition to look for anyone. You don't even have your shoes on."

"I can't find 'em."

"They're under your bed. But you can't go anywhere. You're liable to wander off the dock and drown—if you even get that far."

"You don't understand. I have to find Rose." Jack was about to say more, but a violent fit of coughing interrupted him, leaving him clutching his aching chest.

"Come along, Mr. Dawson. You're delirious. Back to bed with you. You'll be taken to the hospital soon."

"No!" Jack tried to walk away, but the nurse was stronger and faster than he was, and she quickly turned him around and wrestled him back to his bed.

"Now, are you going to stay there, or am I going to have to restrain you?"

Jack looked up at her, feeling panic beginning to well up inside him. Rose…he had to find Rose. But he couldn't go anywhere, not with the nurse standing over him, and the last fit of coughing had left him exhausted. Even as he glared up at the nurse, he felt his eyes beginning to close. He was too tired to try again.

He would have to do as the nurse said, and go after Rose when he was strong enough to make the trip to Philadelphia.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

April 19, 1912

Rose walked slowly beside Cal, her arm linked with his. They were on their way out of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where they had spent the night, courtesy of the White Star Line.

Many people were staying longer, to be present at the hearing regarding the sinking of the Titanic, or to recoup their losses and make themselves presentable before returning home, but Rose knew why her mother and Cal were so eager to return to Philadelphia. They knew that Jack had survived the sinking, and feared that Rose would try to escape and find him if they stayed in New York.

Rose suspected that Cal had another reason for wanting to leave before the hearing. She and Jack had not been the only witnesses to his abominable behavior the night the ship sank, trying to shoot them and then later clubbing people with an oar when they tried to board his lifeboat. Rose had not witnessed that, but she had heard about it in steerage before she had been reunited with Jack. Cal had denied it when she had confronted him, but Rose knew enough about him to believe that what the steerage survivors had said was true.

It was unlikely that anyone would believe the words of a steerage passenger above Cal's word, but it wasn't impossible, and if someone from first class had witnessed his behavior and reported it, or even someone from second class or an officer, Cal's name could be dragged into the hearing, possibly ruining his reputation or even having legal repercussions. Cal was mean and egotistical, but he wasn't stupid. As a passenger, he could leave New York without attending the hearing, and the chances that anything would happen to him—if anyone even thought about what he did that night—were very slim if he wasn't present.

Rose walked stiffly, keeping her eyes straight ahead. Cal and her mother could drag her back to Philadelphia, but she wouldn't go easily, and she planned to leave the first chance she got. At the moment, there was nothing she could do—they kept too close an eye on her for her to escape—but she intended to watch and wait for her chance. She was determined to get away, and they couldn't watch her all the time, especially with Cal's loyal manservant, Spicer Lovejoy, gone.

They reached the taxi that Cal had called before they had gathered their few belongings and checked out of the hotel. Ruth had been put out at having to carry her own bag, but both of the maids had gone down with the ship, and there had not yet been time to hire new ones. There was very little to carry, anyway, so after a few snide remarks about the lack of service, Ruth had taken her belongings and carried them to the taxi.

The three of them settled into the back seat, Rose in the middle to keep her from trying to jump out. As the taxi slowly moved into the heavy traffic, she looked around, trying to think of a way to escape before they reached the train station. Traffic was heavy, so the taxi moved slowly and often stopped, but she was in the middle of the seat, flanked by her mother and Cal. Any attempt to escape could be easily stopped simply by blocking her path.

As they moved through the city, past the towering buildings and the crowds of people, an idea occurred to her. If she could only get them to let her sit beside the door, she could get out when the taxi was stopped in traffic and disappear amongst the crowds.

Clapping her hand over her mouth, Rose made a gasping sound of distress and began breathing heavily, as though she were about to be sick. She had eaten little that morning, still not trusting Cal not to drug her food, so it was plausible that she might feel ill.

"Rose, what's wrong with you?" Ruth demanded. "Stop that!"

"I don't feel so good, Mother. I think I ate something that disagreed with me."

"Well, suppress it. We'll be at the train station soon, if this traffic ever clears. There's a ladies' room there."

"I don't think I can wait that long. Maybe if I sat next to the window…"

"Rose…" Ruth looked at her warningly, suspecting that Rose might not be as sick as she was acting. Her daughter was a talented actress, and Ruth knew that she was looking for any opportunity to get away.

Cal, however, was taken in by the act. Wiggling forward, he exchanged places with Rose.

"Move over, sweetpea. I don't want you getting sick in here. Lower the window and get yourself some fresh air."

Rose gave him a grateful look, moving over and letting the cool morning air blow over her. She almost did feel sick. If this didn't work…

The taxi came to a stop again as a group of schoolchildren moved across the street, the driver waiting for them to cross before moving on. It was just the opportunity Rose had been waiting for.

Throwing open the door, she leaped out of the taxi. Cal lunged for her, grabbing a handful of her silk skirt, but the tattered fabric gave way, leaving him clutching only a handful of ragged material.

She darted across the street, dodging traffic, and onto the sidewalk, quickly blending into the crowd and disappearing around a corner. Ruth and Cal shouted after her, but she didn't turn around.

Rose was free again.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Rose darted through the crowds, looking back every so often to see if she was being followed. It would be harder for Cal to track her without Lovejoy, but it wasn't impossible, and she had no wish to see him.

At last, when she was sure that she had lost them, Rose slowed, looking around herself and considering what to do. She needed to find Jack, but she had no idea where he might be. The Carpathia had docked the night before; for all she knew, he could have left New York.

She shook her head. Jack wouldn't have left New York yet, not without looking for her first. If he had, he would be on his way to Philadelphia to wait for her.

She had to find him, but how? Would anyone know where he had gone? Where would she look? New York was a big city, much too large for her to search with no plan.

The rumbling of the El gave her an idea. Quickly checking an inner pocket of Cal's coat, she touched a bundle of money. Cal had not yet demanded that she return the valuables he had placed in the coat. Perhaps he didn't realize that she still had them. He might think they had been lost in Rose's struggles in the water.

Looking at the direction the El tracks went, Rose began walking, searching for the station.

*****

It was afternoon by the time Rose found her way back to Pier 54 to begin her search. She had intended to go straight there, but her lack of familiarity with the El had sent her all over the city before she finally got on the right train.

When she reached the pier, she went straight to the Cunard Line office. The Titanic had been a White Star Line ship, but since the Cunard liner Carpathia had brought the survivors to New York, she thought that they might have some information on them.

There were only a few people around, so Rose didn't have long to wait. No ships were leaving or arriving that day, and it was still raining, keeping people who might otherwise have been out and about inside.

She went inside the office, stepping up to one of the ticket windows.

"Yes, Miss?" The clerk peered at her curiously, seeing her ragged attire and pale face. She looked to be one of the pitiful survivors of the Titanic disaster.

She soon proved him right. "I need some information on a Titanic passenger, Jack Dawson. He survived the sinking, but we were separated on board the Carpathia, and I haven't seen him since the day after we were rescued. He was in steerage."

The clerk gaped at her, wondering what a first class lady could want with a steerage passenger. In spite of her tattered appearance, Rose was obviously well-to-do, with her silk dress and expensive wool coat.

He had also been instructed not to give out any information. The press was fascinated by the disaster, but his boss was sympathetic with the passengers and their ordeal, and wanted to protect them. Rose was a survivor, not a reporter, but he still felt it most wise to keep his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I can't give out any information. Perhaps another survivor would know."

Rose sighed in frustration, but didn't give up. She'd gone to too much trouble, and loved Jack too much, to give up on him. If necessary, she would search every hospital in the city, put ads in the papers, hire someone to help her search for him. She had more than enough money to do whatever it took.

Thinking quickly, she pulled a twenty dollar bill from a pocket of the coat and held it just out of the clerk's reach. "Are you sure you can't tell me anything? It really is important to me." She lowered her lashes, trying to look helpless and flirtatious at the same time.

The clerk looked at the money, and then at Rose. His salary was very low, and he had always had a weakness for pretty girls. Perhaps he could give her the information she sought. After all, she wasn't with the press…

He looked around quickly. Seeing that no one was watching, he whispered, "I might be able to tell you a few things, Miss."

"Such as?"

"Let me see…" He looked through some papers on the counter behind him. "Steerage, you said?"

"Yes."

"Let me see. Does he have any family around here?"

"Not that I know of."

"He might have gone to a Red Cross shelter. That's where many steerage passengers went."

Rose decided to reveal a little more information. "He was taken to the infirmary aboard Carpathia the day after we were rescued. Where might sick passengers have been taken?"

"There are a couple of hospitals that they were taken to, depending upon how much money they had."

"He had very little, maybe ten dollars to his name. And after the sinking, maybe not even that much."

The clerk looked through the papers again. "Then he might have been taken to the charity hospital three blocks from here. You go three blocks south and turn right. It's about two blocks farther down. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, sir." Rose slipped the money across the counter and whirled around, eager to be on her way.

The clerk stared after her, slipping the twenty into his pocket. He hadn't really expected her to stay and follow through on her flirtation, though he had hoped. Still, he'd gotten some extra money out of the encounter. Maybe he could use it to take another pretty girl out.

*****

Jack lay in the narrow hospital bed, half propped up. He had gotten better since he had been taken from the Carpathia the night before. The fever had finally broken, and he was breathing more easily, though he was still weak and exhausted. Still, he was awake for now, and very concerned about Rose.

Where was she now? How was Cal treating her? He knew that Cal was furious about Rose's relationship with Jack—he would never have shot at them when the Titanic was sinking otherwise—but did he care about her enough not to harm her?

And what about Rose's mother? How was she treating her daughter? Jack hadn't known Ruth DeWitt Bukater for long, but his impression had been that she was a very cold, stiff woman. How she could have borne a daughter like Rose, he didn't know, unless Rose's personality was like her father's.

Jack didn't know how much longer he would have to stay in bed. He was following the doctor's orders carefully, and eating whatever was placed before him, trying to recover as quickly as possible, but he feared that it wouldn't be soon enough. Rose could be on her way back to Philadelphia by now, and there no telling whether he would be able to get close to her there. What if she was forced into the marriage to Cal? He wasn't even sure of when the wedding was supposed to be. He thought it might be June, since many weddings occurred then, but what if he was wrong? What if it was earlier?

Jack reached for the glass of water beside his bed and took a sip, watching a single nurse move amongst the half-dozen patients in the small room. No private rooms or extra care here. The hospital depended upon charitable donations and what little the patients could pay. The wealthy and the middle class didn't come here—they went to the expensive private hospitals, where there was adequate staff, space, and medicine available. Only the poor went to the charity hospital—and many never left, at least not alive. Jack was one of the lucky ones.

The sound of voices arguing in the hallway caught his attention, not because voices or even arguments were so rare here, but because one of the voices was that of a cultured woman. What upper class woman would come here? Surely she could get better care. And she didn't sound sick.

A thought suddenly struck him. Rose! What if it was Rose? Maybe she'd managed to get away from her mother and fiancé. Could it be her? How would she have found him?

A moment later, she came through the door. "Rose!" he gasped, almost dropping the glass. She hurried toward him, still wearing the same tattered clothes she had been wearing before, the dress the worse for wear now.

"Jack!" Rose rushed to him, throwing her arms around him. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you."

"Rose, what happened? Where's Cal and your mother?"

"Oh, Jack, I'm sorry I didn't come back to you on the ship. Cal locked me in a servant's room and told everyone that I was having a nervous breakdown so they wouldn't let me out. They kept a close eye on me when we docked, and locked me in a hotel room last night. I managed to fool Cal and get away this morning, though. Then it took me all day to find out where you were—I didn't know how to find the right El train."

"It's all right, Rose. It doesn't matter. You found me."

"Yes, thank God. I thought the nurses around here wouldn't let me see you, but I donated a hundred dollars to the hospital and they changed their minds."

"Where did you get a hundred dollars? I thought you didn't have any money."

"Cal stuffed his coat pockets with money before he put it on me—his insurance, as he's fond of calling it." She didn't tell him about the diamond—not yet. It would be best to save that information for when they were alone.

Jack sat up a little straighter, pulling her into his arms. She sat on the bed beside him, returning the embrace.

"Rose, I was so worried about you. I didn't know what he might do to you."

"He slapped me a few times, but nothing worse. It's not like it was anything new, anyway. I'm all right."

Jack held her tighter, kissing the top of her head. "He won't hurt you again, Rose. I promise."

Rose touched his face. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Jack. If he finds me, I'll handle him in my own way. I'm not going to let him separate us again."

"Rose…"

"I mean it, Jack. Cal's a powerful, dangerous man—but I was raised in his society. I know what to do about him now. Just trust me."

"I trust you, Rose, but I don't trust Cal. We'll handle him together, if it comes to that."

"All right." She leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. "I've missed you, Jack. As soon as you're well—"

"Well, isn't this a pretty sight. I knew you'd come here, Sweetpea. All I had to do was wait."

Jack and Rose stiffened at the familiar voice, turning to see Cal standing in the doorway, staring at them with a faintly amused smirk on his face.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Jack, Rose, and Cal just stared at each other for a moment, Cal's face set in an amused smirk, Jack and Rose's faces wary and angry.

Rose found her voice first. "Why are you here, Cal?"

"For you, Sweetpea. Isn't it obvious?"

Rose looked more closely at him then. The self-satisfied smirk was still on his face, but there was something else in his voice—something she had never heard before, and couldn't quite identify. What was it—desperation, fear…perhaps even regret? She didn't know.

The moment passed, and Rose's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Leave, Cal." She gripped Jack's hand, determined that they would not be separated this time.

"Rose…at least let me talk to you…alone."

"No."

"Sweetpea…I won't harm you. I promise. There's an empty room just down the hall from here. If you were to scream, everyone would hear and know that something had happened."

Rose sat quietly for a moment more, deciding. "All right, Cal. But this will be the last time, and if you even come close to me, everyone will know."

He nodded. "As you wish."

He led the way towards the small, empty hospital room, not touching Rose or even looking back to see if she was following. Once there, he closed the door, leaving it ajar.

"Rose…" he began, not sure what to say. He had thought of nothing else since she had jumped from the taxi and run away, but now that she was in front of him, he didn't know what to say to her. How did he bring her back to him after she had rejected him so many times? And he wasn't entirely blameless, he realized. He could have refrained from hitting her, or locking her up on the Carpathia.

"Don't, Cal," Rose told him, staying as close to the door as she could. "Don't talk. Just listen. We will make a deal, since that is something you understand. From this moment you do not exist for me, nor I for you. You shall not see me again. And you will not attempt to find me. In return I will keep my silence. Your actions that last night need never come to light, and you will get to keep the honor you have so carefully purchased."

"Rose, please…" Cal's expression changed, a hint of the old arrogance back in his voice. "We've shared too much for it to end like this."

"It's over, Cal, and it was long before we ever boarded the Titanic. We both know that. Leave me alone."

She dug into her pocket, pulling out the Heart of the Ocean and placing the cold, hard stone in his hand. "Is this in any way unclear?" She threw his words back at him.

Cal stared at her, his eyes pleading. "Rose…you are very precious to me."

"Jewels are precious." She looked pointedly at the diamond in his hand. "Good-bye, Mr. Hockley."

Rose turned away, opening the door and striding back down the corridor. Cal watched her go, still clutching the jewel that he had thought was the most precious thing he had. It was only now, too late, that he realized just how wrong he had been.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Jack looked up as Rose came back into the room, relieved that Cal hadn't harmed her or convinced her to go back to him. There wasn't much he could have done if Cal had tried to harm her; his fever had broken, but he was still weak from his bout with pneumonia. And if she had decided to go back to Cal, and to the wealth and status he offered her, it would have been her choice, and he would have had to accept it.

"Jack!" Rose rushed over to him, sinking down on the edge of his bed and settling into his arms as he sat up and embraced her. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't think he'll be bothering us anymore."

Jack looked at her. "How can you be sure?"

"He has what he wants, what is precious to him. He has no reason to pursue me any longer."

Jack gave her a confused look, but Rose just smiled, not elaborating. She had made a promise to Cal, and as long as he kept his end of the bargain, she would keep hers.

"Rose…are you sure about this? He has so much. He can give you the life you're accustomed to, while I…I have nothing to offer you, just like I told you that day. In fact, I have less than I had then, since almost everything I had went down with the ship. All I have is the clothes on my back, and I won't be strong enough to work for a while yet…" He trailed off, wanting her to stay, but knowing that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she followed him false expectations. He couldn't give her what Cal could, and would probably never be able to.

Rose shook her head, refuting his words. "I don't want to live life the way I was accustomed to. I was accustomed to living in such a closed-minded, restrictive society that I had no chance to be myself, to follow my dreams or do the things that I know I can do. Had I been happy with the life I was leading, I would never have attempted to jump off the back of Titanic. I never would have met you." She reached for his hands, squeezing them gently. "You say you have nothing to offer me, but you're wrong. You have everything I want and need—love, friendship, encouragement—things that Cal could never give me, not in a million years. You may not be able to work for a while, but we'll be all right—Cal put quite a bit of money into the pockets of this coat, and he doesn't know I have it. Besides, I'm strong, and I can work, too." She smiled, kissing him softly. "Together, we'll be all right. I know we will."

"Only if you're sure, Rose. The life I lead—it isn't all drawings and parties and the like. There's hard work, too, and sometimes there isn't enough food, or a warm, safe place to sleep at night. It isn't what you're used to."

"I know, but I'm ready for this. I have been ever since that first moment when I saw you on Titanic, on the deck below me. I tried to look away, but…I couldn't. My gaze was drawn to you, no matter how improper I knew it was. I think I might have come down and tried to meet you, if Cal had not pulled me away. I think it was then that I began to separate from the world that I knew, and find my way into another one. And then, on Friday night, when you cared enough to rescue me, a stranger, from making a terrible mistake—though it could have cost you your life, and did almost get you arrested—I knew that it wasn't just the desire to be free that pulled me, the desire to choose my own life. You were there, too, and I went to find you the next day, to see if what I felt was real. And it was. It really was. From that moment I knew that it had to be you, whatever society thought, whatever Mother and Cal felt about it. I'd separated inside from the society I was raised in, and I wanted to share this new feeling of freedom with you, to stay with the one who had suddenly come to mean so much to me." She smiled. "I never believed that love could happen so quickly—but it can, if only once in a lifetime. No, I won't go back to Cal. It has to be you, Jack—or no one at all."

She looked at him, suddenly wondering if she had gone too far, if he really felt as strongly for her as she did for him. She didn't wonder for long, though, because Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her, the two of them embracing and not letting go for a long time.

When the kiss finally ended, Jack said the words that Rose had been hoping to hear. "I love you, Rose, more than I ever dreamed possible. I was drawn to you from the start, too. The others teased me, never believing that I would get close to you, but there was something about you that drew me to you, no matter what anyone said. When I saw you climb over the railing the next night, ready to jump into the ocean, my heart skipped a beat. I didn't know why I felt so strongly towards you, but I did. I probably would have helped anyway—but the fact that it was you, even though I didn't know you, made it all the more urgent. I was so relieved to get you back over the railing that I didn't care that I was about to be arrested for a crime I didn't commit, that had never even taken place. And then you spoke up, managing to rescue both of us, and that sealed it. I knew that I had to see you again, which is why I agreed to go to dinner with the first class the next night. I didn't particularly like Cal, even then, but I wanted to see you again, and that seemed like the only way. I was surprised when you came into steerage the next day, looking for me—but I was glad, too. I'd been right about you—you are unique, and special. Very few first class girls would come down to steerage to find someone, much less return with them that night for a party that was anything but proper."

Rose kissed him then, and they stayed together that way for a long time, the same thought running through both of their minds—_it has to be you._

The End.


End file.
